As Rishi Sunak tries to demonstrate that he can control the striking problem, there are calls for the Commons to return from break early today.
The Lib Dems have requested that MPs return to Westminster this week rather than waiting until next as intended to discuss the issue.
They expressed concern that the NHS is “collapsing in front of our eyes” and that train passengers will endure another miserable week as tens of thousands of workers strike in protest of double-digit wage increases.
There are worries that the action would inadvertently delay the start of the new year’s return to work by a week, inflicting the economy another devastating blow.
A Bill establishing minimum staffing levels for public services may be brought before MPs this month as part of the PM’s pledge to fight for harsher regulations on strikes.
The law may take longer if it is bundled with broader measures, perhaps including a ban on strikes in important industries. The House of Lords reforms are also meeting with stiff opposition from inside.
Since Keir Starmer has vowed to oppose any changes, ministers will hope that the attack on unions draws attention to the gap between them and Labour.
For a large percentage of patients, this is a matter of life or death, according to Lib Dem front-runner Daisy Cooper. The Prime Minister and Health Secretary are nowhere to be seen while the NHS crumbles in front of our eyes.
“This is a national emergency, and the country will never forgive the government if they fail to bring the legislature to order while hundreds of people die in ambulances that are parked or in hospital hallways.”
Nobody should lose a loved one as a result of the government’s negligence.
“NHS paramedics, nurses, and physicians are the unsung heroes of our nation, but the Government has abandoned them.” So that fewer people die, they urgently need assistance.
“I demand that Parliament reconvene immediately. In light of the alarming increase in fatalities, the Prime Minister has to declare a major event right now to get the NHS back on a pandemic footing.
Although there is no indication that the administration would request one, any recall would need to be granted by the Speaker of the Commons.
The senior civil service is represented by the FDA union, and its president, Dave Penman, sneered that changes to the legislation would not halt the action.
The truth of the matter is that these disagreements are about wages. And until you deal with that, unless the government makes an effort to address it, they may be able to have some tiny constraints around the effect of some of these strikes, but the strikes will still happen,’ he said on Times Radio.
‘You know, if you look at the strike votes, you know, this is not some kind of lefty union leaders leading their kind of membership up the garden path, you know, you’re talking about turnout loads of, you know, 80-90 per cent, for most of these unions pay in the public sector in particular, and a lot of these strikes are significantly lagging behind the private sector and significantly behind inflation,’ one observer noted.
The idea that the Government would try to force another pay increase for NHS employees that is below inflation in the next year has angered health unions.
The NHS Confederation is worried that Health Secretary Steve Barclay would try to restrict future pay increases for employees other than physicians and dentists to only 2%.
They think that given the NHS budget for 2023–24 has been fixed, even if Mr. Barclay did not specify a number in his letter to the pay review board last month, that is the sum he is seeking.
An additional 1% contingency might result in as much as 3%.
A fierce battle between the unions over this year’s award has already resulted in walkouts by nurses and ambulance employees, and more are expected this month.
In order to avoid another real-terms drop, Pat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), advised governments to focus on settling this year’s claim.
According to her statement to the Guardian, “Our issue is about the NHS pay award for 2022–23, and we are choosing how to join in negotiations concerning the 2023–24 award.”
Ministers must settle our disagreement with them on this year’s prize before moving on to the one for the next year.
“A decade of nursing suffering from real-terms salary cuts should be more than enough without thinking about continuing down that path again next year,” the author writes.
The Department of Health and Social Care has already delivered its mandate to the pay review panel and budgeted for a 2.1% pay rise, a GMB union source told the newspaper.
This is nearly a third of the inflation predicted for 2023. The primary point of contention is that NHS pay settlements have consistently been too low.
A fierce battle between the unions over this year’s award has already resulted in walkouts by nurses and ambulance employees, and more are expected this month.
The Government has pledged to provide NHS employees a wage raise and has asked the independent pay review bodies for advice on pay for personnel in scope, according to a Department of Health spokeswoman.
This comes after the complete approval of last year’s proposals, which resulted in a 9.3% pay increase for the NHS’s lowest-paid employees.
“When we get the results from the independent pay review committees, we will carefully evaluate them.” The attitude of the government on affordability for 2023–2024 has not yet been disclosed.
Aslef drivers will go on strike on Thursday, while members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 14 train operators will perform two 48-hour walkouts beginning tomorrow and Friday.
A few number of trains will operate, so passengers, notably those returning to work after the holiday break, are advised to anticipate “severe inconvenience.”
The recommendation is to only go if it is absolutely essential, to leave additional time, and to confirm the times of the first and final trains.
As the striking employees resume their jobs on Sunday, January 8, there may potentially be service interruptions.
Approximately 50% of the network will be down on RMT strike days, with just 20% of regular services operating.
Services generally operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm on the day of the strike, however those that do run will start and end considerably later than usual.
15 operators will be impacted by the January 5 train driver strike, which will cause even fewer trains to run and cause some businesses to operate “quite drastically modified” schedules.
Additionally, until Monday, 14 railway operating firms are under the RMT’s overtime prohibition, which will continue to have an impact on the frequency of cancellations and the punctuality of certain services.
“No one wants to see these strikes go forward and we can only apologize to passengers and to the numerous companies who will be affected by this needless and destructive disruption,” said Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group.
“We would advise passengers to only travel during this time if it is absolutely necessary, to allow extra time, and to confirm the times of their first and last trains.”
“Passengers with tickets for January 3–7 may use their tickets beginning the day before the ticket’s scheduled date and continuing through Tuesday, January 10.”
Instead of unions sentencing their members to lose more income in the coming year, it is said that “this conflict will only be addressed by agreeing to the long overdue improvements to working conditions required to put the sector on a sustainable foundation.”
The union is “in it for the long haul,” according to Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan, who also said: “We don’t want to go on strike but the businesses have driven us into this situation.”
They haven’t provided anything to our members, and they haven’t received an increment since April 2019.
When inflation is running at north of 14%, they expect train drivers at these businesses to accept a real-terms salary reduction and work just as hard for far less.
The railroad firms claim that the government has restricted their options. The government, which does not employ us, asserts that it is up to the businesses to engage in negotiations with us.
We are always willing to bargain and will always be willing to sit down and have a conversation, but these firms have made us no offers, and that is unacceptable.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has said that the Government is preventing a settlement to the protracted conflict.
‘Passengers have rightfully had enough of rail strikes and want the inconvenience to cease,’ a Department of Transport official said.
“The Government has shown that it is being reasonable and is prepared to help mediate a rail dispute settlement.” It’s time the unions joined the discussion and contributed.
“Inflation-matching pay rises for all public sector employees will raise long-term costs for everyone, increasing debt, igniting inflation, and adding an additional £1,000 to every household’s budget.”
“Unions should halt this strike action so that we can begin 2023 by concluding this harmful disagreement,” the statement reads.
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